Firefighters arrived to find that the family of three  father, mother and daughter  and their three pet cats had safely escaped the flames. Crews declared the fire controlled just before 3 a.m.

However, the fire caused significant damage to the ranch style residence, including a partially collapsed roof.

Killinen said a dollar estimate for damage was not immediately determined, but the home was not safe for occupancy and the family was being assisted with shelter by neighbors. The Red Cross also was assessing the family's needs.

"We were able to get a lot of the contents of the house out," Killinen said.

He said that the source of the fire was believed to be a leak from a natural gas-powered vehicle the owner had been trying to repair. "We believe it leaked and the gas found an ignition source in the garage," Killinen said.

As the fire grew, several small propane canisters exploded, adding to the intensity of the flames.

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